Team Powersports

Memorial Day Weekend and Beyond

2009-05-21T09:30:00.002-05:00

We will NOT be having Saturday practice on May 23rd, but we will, however, have regularly schedule practice on Monday, May 25th (Memorial Day). If you can make it, great! If you can't, that is totally understandable. Also, Friday May 29th will be the last practice for the school year. The Mini-Olympics are scheduled for that Saturday, so we can't have morning practice.

The week of Memorial Day will be my last week here at Powersports, and I am definitely going to miss everyone. I love all the kids so much, and I want to thank y'all for letting me work with them for the last four years. I hope everyone has a great summer and a great season next year!

-Coach Geoff

Team Picnic!!!

2009-04-28T11:51:00.003-05:00

We will be having a team picnic on Saturday May 9th at 12:00 here at Powersports! It will be a pot-luck type event, so I need people to sign up to bring entrees, side dishes, drinks, and desserts! We won't be able to use all the picnic benches like we have in the past, so bring some folding or sports chairs as well. All team members' parents, family and friends are invited!

You can sign up to bring things by either commenting on this post (Include your name and what you will bring), or by emailing me, and I will add it to the list that is here on the website. Be sure to check the list to see what people are already bringing so we don't end up with 20 apple pies! ;)

Thanks,
Coach Geoff

Texas Legislation Affecting Gymnastics

2009-03-26T09:43:00.000-05:00

Please go to www.txusag.com and read about the troubling legislation being considered in the State House and Senate. After that, please contact your State Senator and Rep to let them know that this legislation hurts local business, hurts competitive sports, and hurts the overall fitness of children in Texas.

Thanks to Lisa Cairns for sending me contact info for our Rep and Senator:

Texas State Senator
Senate District 5--Senator Steve Ogden
Capitol Office: CAP GE.4
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0105
Capitol Address: P.O. Box 12068, Capitol Station
Austin, TX 78711
District Address: 3740 Copperfield Dr., Suite 103
Bryan TX 77802
Phone: (979) 776-0521
State District Offices


Texas State Representative
House District 14--Representative Fred Brown
Capitol Office: CAP GS.6
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0698
Capitol Address: P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
District Address: 1920 West Villa Maria Road,, Suite 303
Bryan TX 77207
Phone: (979) 822-9797

Team Bowling!!!

2009-03-25T12:06:00.000-05:00

Come bowl with your teammates this Saturday at 1:30!!! Hope to see you there at Grand Station Entertainment! Just say you're with the Powersports group when you check in at the front desk. I'm not exactly sure what the total price will be, but I believe they will be billing us individually. If you have any questions, shoot me an email or comment on this post!

Thanks,
Coach Geoff

Spring Break Practice!

2009-02-26T09:26:00.000-06:00

During Spring Break we will be having practice for the Level 5, Level 6, and Optional teams from 12:00 - 4:00 on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Make it if you can, and no big deal if you can't. Let me know either way so I can get a holiday conditioning regimen to you for the break.

Thanks,
Coach Geoff

Houston National Invitation

2009-02-19T09:22:00.000-06:00

The Level 10 / Elite competition will be from 6:30 until about 10:00 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

Powersports Level 8 gymnasts (Maggie and Kaitlyn) will be competing on Sunday from 2:45 - 5:00.

Click here for ticket information.

Click here For Comprehensive Information about the Invitiational.

Great Job at the Mary Lou Retton Invitational!!!

2009-02-02T15:16:00.000-06:00

Great job, ladies! What a fun meet! Now it's time for everyone to relax and enjoy the off season! (not you, Maggie and Kaitlyn ;) )

New Coach Meet and Greet

2008-12-18T20:35:00.000-06:00

There will be an opportunity to meet our new team coaches this Friday, at 7:00. Come make Shannon (Preteam, L4, and Up) and Tenille (Preteam and L4) feel welcome!

See y'all there,
Coach Geoff

New Schedule

2008-12-02T12:09:00.000-06:00

So here it is! Finally!

2009 Spring Schedule

Thanksgiving weekend

2008-11-19T09:35:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, November 29th there will be practice for the Level 6s and Optionals, and structured open gym for the level 4s and 5s from 3:00 - 6:00.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

-Coach Geoff

Winter Holiday Workouts and Activities

2008-11-13T09:13:00.000-06:00

I'm setting some practice dates during the Christmas Break, and although I encourage you to attend, none of the dates are mandatory, so please have fun on your vacation and don't feel pressured to attend practices that might conflict with your holiday plans.

The first two dates will be "camp-style" practices. We will workout for about two hours, then have lunch and a team activity, then workout for the remainder of the time.

Dec. 22nd: 10:00 - 3:00
Dec. 23rd: 10:00 - 3:00

Dec. 30th will be a regular practice from 1:00 - 5:00 (I'll be driving back from Atlanta on the 29th, and the thought of an early practice the next day makes me cringe)

Jan 2nd and Jan 3rd will also be "camp-style" practices from 10:00 - 3:00.

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Saturday December 6th the team will be going to Santa's Wonderland!! Hay rides and Hot Cocoa are a great way to bond as a team! We'll meet at the Gym 30 min. before dark and caravan over there! Hope to see you there!

Mary Lou Retton Invitational

2008-11-11T09:18:00.000-06:00

The Mary Lou Retton Invitational is being held in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center January 3oth - February 1st. The meet is Open to all levels, and profits will benefit the Greater Houston Gymnastics Foundation. The Optionals will be attending the meet, but I think it would be fun for everyone to go.

The prices are: $110 for the Optionals and $90 for the Compulsories (Levels 4, 5, and 6).

I just need some feedback on whether or not y'all are interested.

Shoot me an email, or comment on this blog entry to let me know what you think!

Meeting

2008-11-06T15:29:00.000-06:00

Parents,
Thad would like to have a meeting to discuss the team schedule and any other concerns you might have with the team program. The meeting will be this Friday at 7:00. If you have any questions, shoot me an email or give me a call.

Thanks,
Coach Geoff

Winter Cup Challenge

2008-11-04T12:00:00.000-06:00

I am sending the entry for the Winter Cup Challenge on Wednesday. The cost is $105 for optionals, and $85 for all compulsory gymnasts (4 - 6). Please bring me a check for this meet ASAP. Also, I need T-shirt sizes! Every gymnast gets a T-shirt at this meet, so email your daughter's size to me ASAP!

Thanks,
Coach Geoff (coachgeoff@gmail.com)

p.s. Congratulations Level 5s! Please write a check to Powersports for $105, and give it to me ASAP! Thanks!

Level 5 South State

2008-11-04T09:22:00.000-06:00

Level 5 South State
Hosted By Stars Gymnastics
November 22 & 23

Session Times

Saturday, November 22nd

Session 1- Junior A (Taylor H., Carsen, Taylor D.)
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. General Stretch
8:30 a.m. – 8:40 a.m. March In
8:40 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. Competition
11:50 a.m. Awards

Session 2- Junior B (Julia)
12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. General Stretch
12:45 p.m. – 12:55 p.m. March In
12:55 p.m. – 4:05 p.m. Competition
4:05 p.m. Awards

Session 3- Junior C (Grace)
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. General Stretch
5:00 p.m. – 5:10 p.m. March In
5:10 p.m. – 8:20 p.m. Competition
8:20 p.m. Awards

Stars is located here.

Open Gym, Practice Make-ups, Competition Congratulations, and Schedule Panic

2008-09-30T09:19:00.000-05:00

Due to the Level 4 & 6 District Championships this weekend, there will not be practice or open gym on Saturday. We will be having a make-up practice on Sunday (October 5th) from 2:00 - 5:00, which will also serve as an open gym for those who don't have regularly scheduled Saturday practices.

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Great Job at the meet this weekend, ladies! If we keep improving like this, we'll be a force to reckon with at State!

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I am working on a schedule for the Spring, and some of the scheduling possibilities involve late practices. The schedule is a work in progress, and I don't want anyone panicking about things that have not yet been finalized. Keep in mind that somewhere along the line late practices are a certainty, and even if that's not this case this year or the next, it will happen. If, after the schedule is released, of course, you have issues with practice times, let me know about it. The last thing I want or need is for anyone to prematurely exclude themselves from the team program based on a schedule that is not even close to being set in stone.

-Coach Geoff

Slight Schedule Change

2008-09-04T09:49:00.000-05:00

The schedule has changed a little for the boys program:

Click Here for the new schedule.

SWIM PARTY!!!

2008-08-25T12:50:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the late notice, but this coming Saturday, August 30th there will be a swim party at Thomas Pool from 2:00 - 4:00 for all members of the Powersports Team Program! This includes the mini-men, hot shots, preteam/Level 4s, Level 5s, Level 6s, optionals, and all the family and friends you want to bring!! If you want to come, write your gymnast's name on an envelope along with the total number of friends and family who will attend, and put a few dollars for each person in it, then get it to coach Geoff sometime this week!

Click Here for information on Thomas Pool.

We're # 1

2008-06-11T17:19:00.000-05:00

ATTENTION PARENTS:

Great News!!! We’ve been nominated in three categories for the “Best of the Brazos Valley”! The voting to decide the winner is taking place online until July 14th! Just go to www.bestofthebrazos.com and click on the “I’m here to vote” link, and vote for Powersports in the following categories:
1) Best Gymnastics / Cheer Facility
2) Best Dance Studio
3) Best Family Entertainment
We’re proud to have served Bryan/College Station families for the last 10 years, and we’re so excited to be recognized by Best of The Brazos! So vote, get your friends to vote, and if you’re so inclined get some strangers to vote, too ;) . Thank you so much for your business; we couldn’t do this with out you.

Team Movie Night!

2008-06-02T11:02:00.000-05:00

I think it would be fun to have a movie night once a month during the summer. We can go to the theater, or go to someone's house, or even have it up at the gym during Kids Night Out. Let me know what you think (via email, or comment to the post), and I'll try to nail down the details by the end of the week.

Picnic Time!!!

2008-05-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

The picnic is scheduled for Saturday, May 17th from 3:00 pm until dark at the Tiffany Park Pavilion A in Bryan.

Tiffany Park
3890 Copperfield Drive, Bryan, Texas 77803

click here for info

Ok. Here's the deal: There are still tons of plates, cutlery, and napkins left over from last year, and we have chicken on it's way, so what we really need are side dishes and miscellaneous extras (hotdogs, cookies, soft drinks, etc.)

Also, to pay for the pavillion rental, I think $2 per person will more than cover it (we have $20 left over from team bowling), and any left over funds can be put into the next team activity.

Please comment on this post in the following format:

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Gymnast Name: Jenny Gymnast
Number of family/friends attending (including gymnast): 5
Side dish/other to bring: tater salad
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that way everyone can view the comments to see what other people are bringing, and I can get an idea of how many folks might come.

just click on the "comments" link at the bottom of the post, put in the info like above, and select "name/url" to post a comment without having to sign into anything. if you have any trouble or questions, shoot me an email at coachgeoff@gmail.com. thanks! see y'all at the gym!

Workout Pics

2008-05-05T14:05:00.000-05:00

My friend Mandy took some great pics during our Saturday workout a few weeks ago, and I recently posted them to our databus account! They're located in the directory called "workout pics" which is under the "coach geoff's files" directory.

If you don't remember the log in name and password, send me an email, and I'll hook you up!

-Coach Geoff

May Meet May Not Happen

2008-04-28T09:45:00.000-05:00

By an underwhelming vote of:

Yes - 1
No - 3
"If Everyone Else Does" - 2
Failed to vote - 8

We will not be attending the Dream Gymnastics Challenge on May 25th.

Summer Schedule

2008-04-21T15:04:00.000-05:00

Here it is! If you have any questions or problems, shoot me an email!

Girls Summer Schedule

Boys Summer Schedule

Mini Olympics

2008-04-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

I would like to encourage the Hot Shots and Mini Men to sign up for the Mini-Olympics (gymnastics recital) which will take place on Saturday, May 31st, from 4:00 - 6:00. The cost is $30, which includes a T-shirt with all participating gymnasts' names on the back, and a trophy for every child! The deadline to sign up is Friday, May 2nd, so drop by the front office to sign up today!

Newsletter!

2008-04-15T14:23:00.000-05:00

I created a quarterly newsletter that I will hand out at the gym, but also post here for your convenience. Let me know what you think!

Team Powersports Quarterly April May June 2008

Just click, and choose "open" if prompted!

Team Bowling!!

2008-03-24T11:15:00.000-05:00

ATTENTION TEAM PARENTS:

We’re going bowling!!! All team gymnasts and their families are invited on Saturday, March 29th, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm at the Wolf Pen Bowling Center. If you plan on attending, please let me know in writing how many people you will bring, and give me $10 for each person. I hope to see you all there!

-Coach Geoff

Level 8 State Schedule

2008-03-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

http://www.ibteam.org/meet_state_lv8.asp?sel=1

Open Stretches start:

Debra: Saturday, April 5th, 12:15pm
Maggie: Saturday, April 5th, 5:45pm
Kaitlyn: Sunday, April 6th, 8:00am

So, there you have it: proof of God, and proof that he is angry.

-Coach Geoff

Spring Break Schedule

2008-03-03T12:34:00.000-06:00

ATTENTION TEAM PARENTS:
We will be having practice the week of spring break (March 10th – 14th), and although I know many of you have vacations planned, I encourage you to attend as many practices as possible.
Girls: Monday and Tuesday 4:00 – 7:00 (‘til 8:00 for optionals)
Thursday and Friday 12:30 – 3:30 (‘til 4:30 for optionals)
Boys: Wednesday 12:30 – 3:00
Friday 4:30 – 7:00
There will be Level 6 and Optional Practice on Saturday, March 8th, as well as Open Gym, but there WILL NOT be practice or Open Gym on Saturday March 15th.

Grip Sizes!

2008-01-25T21:26:00.000-06:00

After considering the comfort level needed for a first pair of grips, I would prefer that all the girls wear the single buckle just right grips. Based on the xeroxes I took of the girls' hands, the sizes should be as follows:

Julia L - Small (1) 6.25 inches
Amanda - X Small (0) 5.375 inches
Sydney - X Small (0) 5.5 inches
Isabela - X Small (0) 5.375 inches
Kelly - X Small (0) 5.625 inches

If these measurements seem way off to you, let me know at practice!

Grips!

2008-01-17T09:45:00.000-06:00

All right new level 6 Parents (5 1/2, I guess),

It's time for grips!

Here are the two styles that I recommend:

http://www.gibsongymnastics.com/catalog/GR37100.shtml

http://www.gibsongymnastics.com/catalog/product133.html

I prefer the buckle type and I think this style will be a good grip to get the girls familiarized with grips in general. If you would like a different kind, you can find some other options here:

http://www.reisport.com/

http://www.ten-o.com/d/232,1_Womens-Gymnastics-Grips.html

Please discuss it with me first before you order a different style than those I recommended.

Right now one pair of grips is ok, but when it gets closer to competition season I want the girls to have a backup pair.

If you have any questions, email me at coachgeoff@gmail.com

ATTENTION OPTIONAL PARENTS

2008-01-15T14:28:00.000-06:00

It’s crunch time. No one is quite ready to compete, but competition season is here. All of the meets that I would like to attend have an entry deadline as early as January 28^th. We have to make some decisions. By Wednesday January 23^rd, we have to have skills, or at least be close, and we have to have attendance that reflects a competitive gymnast until then and throughout the competition season. The meets I would like to attend are as follows:

February 23^rd – Svetlana Invitational, Discover Gymnastics, Houston

($100 deadline Feb 2^nd)

March 8^th– Heart of Texas Invitational, Capitol Gymnastics, Austin

($115 deadline Feb 1^st)

March 14^th-16^th – Houston National Invitational, George R. Brown, Houston

($110 deadline Jan 28^th)

May 3^rd – Gymnastics Fever Invitational, Texas Star Tomball

(fee and deadline TBA)

Keep in mind that the entries and fees must be in the meet directors hand by the deadline, and that’s why the January 23^rd is the deadline for your commitment. I have not deposited USAG checks, so if you don’t think you will compete, I will give those back, and as far as leotards go, we can discuss options when you commit to compete.

Thanks, Coach Geoff

Holiday Workout

2007-12-27T14:33:00.000-06:00

We will be having holiday workouts on the following dates:

Dec 27th and 28th:
Girls Level 5 and up- 10:00 - 2:00
Boys- 2:00 - 4:00

Dec 29th:
Open Gym for all team from 8:30 - 10:30

Jan 3rd:
Girls Level 5 and up- 5:00 - 8:15 ('til 9:15 for optionals)

Jan 4th:
Girls Level 5 and up- 4:00 - 7:30

Jan 5th:
Open Gym for all team from 8:30 - 10:30

Hope to see you there!

Great Season!

2007-12-10T09:36:00.000-06:00

Great Season, ladies!

I'm so proud of all of our girls! We had state qualifiers, we overcame injuries and illnesses, and we showed District 5 that Powersports can hang with anybody!

Now that the Season is over, we can relax a little bit, and I will have the new schedule out by next week (after all the new preteam invites are confirmed).

We will be having Open Gym this Saturday from 8:30 - 11:30, for $10 or to serve as a makeup practice.

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To the Level 5 Placements:

I know we had a bumpy season, and that some things didn't go as well as they could've, but I am very proud of the way y'all competed this year. We did enter the Team Competition at The Diane Callison Invitational as a Small Man Team (top 3 scores count), but Oni decided to lump all the Teams together, and apply Small Man team scoring to teams with 15+ kids (intead of splitting the teams into Small Man and Large Man, where top 5 scores count). This placed us in nearly last place, but we still should've been awarded a Team Award. I asked Oni about this while they were still handing out Team awards, and he told me to wait. About 5 minutes after the award ceremony, he said "Yup... looks like you entered the Team Competition. You want this award?" as he handed me a first place award. He said that he would send a proper replacement in the mail, unless I wanted to keep the one that said first . I told him it wasn't about the award, but about the girls being recognized, and he told me to "hold on." I left the erroneous and insulting plaque on the score table and walked away.

Needless to say, I am not happy with Oni, or the way he handled the competition. I am very proud of all my girls, and I don't want you to feel like you didn't do well at the meet, or during this season. Y'all did AWESOME! See you at practice,
Coach Geoff

Youth Running: Where's The Wisdom In Overkill?

2007-11-14T13:48:00.000-06:00

I am very exited that kids are running in school. Running is a very natural activity for children, and it's a great way for them to learn the value of exercise and to stay in cardiovascular shape.

However, I don't believe that the emphasis should be "RUN RUN RUN" for children that have not been taught how to run. Before a fitness professional (or PE teacher) can expect healthy results from any activity, that activity has to be taught and implemented correctly. To expect a child to run for 20 minutes without stopping before that child has been taught running posture, how to step, how to pace, or any technique whatsoever is reckless.

Certainly running is a natural movement that some kids can do efficiently and safely without instruction, but to mandate a program without a preliminary assessment of running form, endurance, and general health can be dangerous.

Furthermore, a program designed to save children from obesity is not a program that will necessarily benefit children who are already very active. In fact, over exercising can cause injury, exhaustion, and eventually cause the child to "burn out" on the very behavior that should be encouraged. If a child needs to walk during a running exercise, his/her PE instructor should not reprimand this need for rest, but gradually limit the amount of rest allowed over the period of the curriculum. If a child indicates an injury, that child should NEVER be punished for not participating in an activity that could further complicate or aggravate the injury.

In a country where more than a third of the population is obese, exercise is certainly an important virtue to instill in our youth. However, an overzealous and reactionary response is not the answer. The safety of the children should always come first, and a more scalable implementation is always preferable to a uniform and sweeping solution.

-Coach Geoff Craft

Check out this chart detailing healthy running distances. Walking is included in all the long distances until the children are 13. In fact, the distances that are being run by some at "Road Runners" are indicated as alternating walking and running!
Running Distances